Never Say Never
by KBelle1
Summary: Penny and Leonard are married with a four year old daughter, however, their marriage is slowly deteriorating. Sheldon and Amy are in a loveless marriage, simply together for the use of combining their mental prowess. When their spouses are away, Sheldon and Penny share a bond over her daughter, and Penny realizes there is more to Sheldon than she originally thought. Slightly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first go at TBBT fanfiction. I got the idea while watching reruns the other day that this could be an interesting premise. I write primarily True Blood fanfiction, so if you're ever wanting to read any of that, head on over to my profile and give that a go!**

 **Disclaimer: THE ONLY CHARACTER I OWN IS EMILIA**

 **Please read and review! It's the only way that I can get any sort of feedback about whether the story is any good, or if it needs any work. Good and bad criticism is more than welcomed.**

Penny woke up and sighed heavily. Looking at her clock, she groaned, realizing that she had overslept for work. She knew she should get up and get ready for the day, but she couldn't bring herself to do it—she was too sad. Her husband Leonard had left two days ago for an expedition to the North Sea. He would be gone for four months.

She stood up and made up her mind. She picked up her cell phone and dialed her manager's number, and called out for the second time that week. She told herself that tomorrow, she would get back on her regular schedule.

Penny couldn't tell whether she was going to actually miss her husband, or if she was just not used to him being gone. In all honesty, they had been growing apart in the last few months. She couldn't pinpoint any particular reason for the sudden distance, but it was palpable. She usually told herself that their daughter was the only reason she stuck it out.

"Emilia," she whispered, walking into her four year old daughter's bedroom. "Time to get up."

Her daughter rubbed her sleepy green eyes and smiled up at her mother. Penny chuckled at her daughter's wild blonde hair and shook her head. She wanted to get Emilia's hair cut, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Mommy, is it time for school?" Emilia asked in a tiny voice.

"Nope, you're going to stay home with me today, Emmy," Penny said smiling.

Her daughter grinned up at her, and then her smile faltered slightly.

"When will daddy be coming home?"

Penny hesitated before answering, knowing Emmy couldn't fully comprehend the amount of time Leonard would be gone.

"Baby, he'll be gone a while. But he'll be home before you know it! We can even keep a calendar if you want."

Emilia nodded eagerly at that, and her smile returned immediately.

Penny dressed Emmy quickly, attempting to also remove the tangles from her long wavy hair in the process, before going and getting dressed herself. She had a few errands to run, and wanted some time to think.

Knowing that her daughter wouldn't want to go grocery shopping and job hunting, Penny walked across the hall and knocked on the door of apartment 4a.

Sheldon answered the door still in his robe and slippers, and smiled when he saw the two blondes waiting for him. He always enjoyed seeing them, especially little Emilia.

"Penny, Emmy, what can I do for you this morning?" he asked, eyeing the duffel bag Penny was carrying.

"Sheldon, I was wondering if you or Amy would be around today. I'm running errands this morning, and don't want to drag little bit along," Penny answered, pleading with her eyes.

Sheldon regarded her carefully before nodding his head in the affirmative. He noticed Penny outwardly sigh in relief.

"Thank you so much. She was thrilled at the prospect of spending the morning with Uncle Shelly and Aunt Amy," Penny said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, I don't see any reason I can't watch her for a couple of hours. Although, it's laundry day, so please be back before noon," Sheldon said, taking Emilia's belongings.

"Sure thing," Penny said before bending down to kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Where's Amy?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Oh, she left this morning to go to London for some conference for two weeks," Sheldon responded, obviously not bothered in the slightest that his wife was gone.

Penny looked at Sheldon for a minute, and then shook her head. "Alright, well you too don't have too much fun without me. I'll be back soon."

And with that, she was gone.

Sheldon and Emilia walked into his apartment and he got her settled on the couch before unpacking her belongings. He was impressed.

He had known Penny for eight years, and for the first four, she was scatter-brained and irresponsible. As soon as she found out about Emilia, though, she had gotten her life more on track. She and Leonard had only been married for a few months when they got pregnant.

Sheldon and Leonard had been best friends since they had become roommates almost 10 years ago, but if he was being honest, he and Penny had grown just as close over time.

And Sheldon had even loosened up with many of his rules, since he and Amy had been hosting Emilia in their apartment more often.

Of course, Sheldon still had his routines, and his habits. But he had grown accustomed to the sight of crayons littering the floor, and for the first few years of her life, the smell of baby powder in the bathroom. But he enjoyed it. Emilia was the product of his two best friends.

He enjoyed having them around, and he still missed having Leonard live with him, even though he had moved out five years ago. Shortly before Penny and Leonard's wedding, he and Amy had "tied the knot" themselves. They weren't in love, or any of that nonsense—no, there's was a marriage of the minds. Amy slept in Leonard's old room, and Sheldon kept his for himself.

The only thing that changed was they had scheduled coitus ever Tuesday and Thursday, for 30 minutes. There was no love. There was no emotion. It was strictly business, so to speak.

He sometimes wished that he could have the love that his friends shared, but recently, he had seen the changes in their demeanor. Sheldon was no expert in in social interaction, but he could tell when they were fighting. He could feel the tension in the air when they came for visits.

The weeks before Leonard's expedition, Penny had taken Emmy to his apartment on more than one occasion, telling him quietly that Emmy didn't need to be around them to hear their arguing. Of course, he happily obliged, enjoying having a young person around who loved trains as much as he did—or _almost_ as much as he did.

He was pulled out of his inner thoughts by a tiny tug on the hem of shirt.

"Shelly, will you color with me?" Emilia asked with a tiny smile and wide eyes. She was playing him like a fiddle, and she knew it.

"Well of course," he said, smiling back down at her, "oh, and I got us a new train coloring book yesterday!"

Penny trudged up the four flights of stairs completely exhausted. She was late picking Emilia up from Sheldon, but she didn't have the energy to feel guilty about that. She had gotten an application from pretty much every building with a "help wanted" sign, grocery shopped, and picked up a calendar and some stickers for Emmy to mark down the days until her father returned home.

She knocked on Sheldon's door, and got no answer. She pressed her ear against it and didn't hear anything, and she frowned. She dug for her emergency key, and slipped it into the lock.

When she entered the apartment, she noticed that the lights were still on, and the TV was still going, it was only muted. That's when Penny started panicking. She had just picked her cell phone out of her purse when she heard giggling outside the door.

Sheldon entered first carrying a hamper of clean clothes, followed by a giggling Emilia. Penny sighed in relief, throwing her phone back into her purse.

"Sheldon, I'm so sorry I'm late. I was picking up job applications and lost track of time…"

Sheldon simply put his hand up and stopped her. "Penny, although you are late, it was no inconvenience. Emilia and I did laundry together, and I started teaching her about the glory of physics."

 _Oh lord_ , Penny thought. "Alright, well thank you again, Sheldon. I should, uh, probably go now."

Sheldon nodded, and handed Emilia back to her mother, along with the packed duffel bag. He leaned down and gave the little girl a hug.

"Love you Uncle Shelly."

"Love you too, Pumpkin."

Penny smiled at the exchange. Sheldon and Emilia were too cute together. And she couldn't help the feeling that she got when she watched them together, that Sheldon would make a wonderful family, if he were to ever be given the opportunity.


	2. Chapter 2

Penny set up the calendar that night, and let Emilia pick which stickers she wanted to use to check off the first two days of her father's absence. Of course, she picked the _Frozen_ stickers.

Penny busied herself cooking dinner for the two of them, and contemplated inviting Sheldon over to eat with them. She knew the guys wouldn't be over that night, since it was a Wednesday, and he would probably be lonely. She knew that he and Amy didn't have a close intimate relationship, but they were used to each other's company after being together for so long.

In all honesty, Penny didn't understand why they stayed married—they didn't particularly like each other much anymore, and they didn't even share a bedroom. She knew they had agreed to the marriage in the hopes that it would increase their productivity, but was it worth it?

She found herself asking the same question about Leonard and her. They didn't much like each other anymore. He was away more than he was home. He was a good father, but he had a hard time relating to his daughter—he wasn't very good at spending time with her. Hell, he hadn't even been present at her birth, instead at a conference in Texas. Back then, she supported him. She understood that it was his job to be at these things, and he would be around plenty, after the birth.

But things never really improved. He never really changed his ways. She knew the guys felt bad for her—they saw the sadness in her eyes when Leonard was gone, and they felt bad for Emilia. There was nothing they could do, though.

Sheldon had on more than one occasion sat on her couch while she cried into his shoulder. The quirky scientist had definitely become more human in the past years, probably from spending so much time with her daughter.

Before she could make up her mind about whether to call him, she heard a knock on the door.

 _Knock knock knock_ "Penny"

 _Knock knock knock_ "Penny"

 _Knock knock knock_ "Penny"

Penny waited patiently for him to finish his knocking sequence, before telling Emmy that she could open the door. When she did, she threw herself at the physicist, squealing.

"Well hello to you too," Sheldon said, picking the girl up, "but you do realize that I just saw you five hours ago?"

Penny laughed. She knew that her daughter had zero concept of time, and was impatient—especially when it came to Uncle Shelly.

"Sheldon, what can I do for you?" Penny asked, looking up from the stove.

"Well, I was wondering if it would be an inconvenience if I were to join you for dinner tonight," Sheldon said plainly, standing in the door awkwardly.

"Of course, sweetie. It's Italian Meatloaf night. I hope that's okay."

"Well, since I'm the one who is staying in your home for dinner, I believe social protocol dictates that I eat whatever is served regardless of my preference," Sheldon stated, walking into the apartment.

Penny rolled her eyes good naturedly, and glared over at the forty year old baby. "Yes, that it was social protocol dictates. It also dictates that the two of you should set the table—dinner's almost ready."

Sheldon and Emilia nodded, and got to work at setting the small dining room table. By the time they were done, Penny was calling that dinner was ready. The three of them sat in comfortable silence during dinner, the quiet only interrupted by the ramblings of the four year old at the table.

When they finished eating, Emilia sat down for her hour of TV time before bed, while Penny and Sheldon cleaned up the kitchen.

"How are you doing?" Sheldon asked from his post, drying off the dishes.

"I'm…okay," Penny said, glancing up at him, "I'm doing better than I thought I would. I think I've only been lonely because I'm used to having him around."

Sheldon merely looked up at her when she said that.

"Oh my God, that makes me sound like a terrible person," she groaned, putting the plate she was washing back down in the sink.

Sheldon regraded him for a minute before answering. "Penny, I don't think it makes you a bad person, but I think that you need to think about all of this while Leonard's gone. You've been bringing Emmy over to me more often while you guys argue, and she doesn't need to be exposed to that."

Penny was about to give him a snarky response, somewhere along the lines that it wasn't any of his business, but he made sense.

"Penny," Sheldon continued, "I care about you and Emilia. You are my best friend, and she is an extension of you. I just want what's best for you both," he finished, with a rare moment of maturity and insight.

"I know that you're probably right," Penny said, "but it's hard to think about that right now. How could I tell Emilia that her father and I may not be together anymore?"

"That," he said, "is something that I can't help you with. That is beyond my scope of social understanding."

Penny sighed and went back to the dishes. She had a lot to think about.

When they finished the dishes, and Emilia had finished her hour of TV time, Penny took her to her bedroom and tucked her in to bed. When she came back out, she found Sheldon surfing through the channels on her TV.

"You're lonely too, aren't you?" she asked him simply.

Sheldon nodded. "I don't miss Amy necessarily, I just miss the company. Anybody's company."

"Well, you know you're welcome over here anytime, sweetie," she told him, grabbing his hand, and then letting it go quickly.

They fell into a comfortable silence, and Sheldon found a sci-fi movie to watch. They watched the movie together for about an hour, Penny bugging Sheldon with her incessant questions, before she fell asleep.

And when she woke up, she and Sheldon were curled up on the couch together.


	3. Chapter 3

When Penny woke up, the first thing she noticed was her neck hurt. She groaned and swung her feet over the edge of the couch. That's when she felt the arm tighten around her waist. _Sheldon._ It all came back to her. She and Sheldon had watched a movie, and she fell asleep cuddling with him on the couch.

This was bad.

She was able to extract herself from his grasp, and went into Emilia's room to check on her. She was thankful it was finally Saturday, so she didn't have to worry about getting Emmy to school. She also didn't have work that day.

She saw her daughter sleeping peacefully, clutching the Care Bear Sheldon had bought her for her last birthday. Satisfied, Penny went back to the living room, nudging Sheldon with her hand.

He looked up at her groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Penny?" he asked, seeming confused.

"You fell asleep on the couch, Moonpie," she told him, smiling a little. He didn't need to know that she slept there with him.

He made a tired groaning noise, and began to get off the couch.

"This is a disaster," he said, looking to Penny.

Penny sighed. He obviously pieced together that they had been asleep together on the couch. They hadn't done anything inappropriate, it's not like there was anything to be ashamed about.

"Sheldon," she said, hoping it was in a comforting voice, "everything is fine. No need to get worked up."

Sheldon didn't get a chance to respond, however, because a tiny blonde head poked itself out of the bedroom.

"Mommy, did you and Shelly have a slumber party?" Emmy asked innocently, grinning at her mom. She did love Sheldon.

Penny decided to avoid the question. "Sweetie, why don't I get you some cereal. Sheldon, do you want anything?"

Sheldon shook his head, and said his goodbyes, beforestalking back to his apartment.

XoXoXo

Sheldon knew there was no reason to be upset over what happened with Penny. Since the birth of Emilia, he had foregone his previously rigid routines, and was much more laid back. But he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that what happened, shouldn't have happened.

He and Penny had become much closer in the past months. Leonard had pulled away from his small family, and Sheldon suspected that he was afraid of the commitment—now that he and Penny had a child, they would forever be a part of each other's lives. Penny was no longer just Leonard's "arm candy" at university gala's. She was a mother. Leonard was still a frat boy at heart.

Sheldon knew Leonard still frequented strip clubs with Howard and Raj, and usually lied to Penny regarding his whereabouts—a fact that Sheldon resented, deeply. The Texan gentleman in him knew to treat ladies better than that.

Leonard leaving on the North Sea expedition had been a turning point in his and Penny's relationship. Leonard had confided in Sheldon that much of the romance between the two was gone. Leonard tried to blame Penny, but Sheldon knew the truth. At this point, Sheldon merely tolerated Leonard.

Those thoughts brought him back to his feelings about Amy. They lived pretty much separate lives, however before she left for her conference, brought up her desire for a child. Sheldon hadn't given her an answer. He didn't mind the idea of children so much as he minded the idea of having them with her. Their relationship, after all, was but a relationship of the mind.

XoXoXo

Penny and Emilia kept themselves occupied all of Saturday playing games and watching television. Before Penny knew it, it was Sunday night. Leonard had been gone 4 days now. He was supposed to call or email when he made it to the research ship, but she hadn't heard from him yet.

She didn't know what she expected. He hadn't left on great terms, but Penny had hoped that he would at least reach out for their daughter's sake.

The calls and emails never came though.

XoXoXo

The few days passed as they always did—except for the absence of Leonard and Amy. Sheldon also spent a great deal of time with Penny and Emilia, however, that wasn't entirely new. The past few months, he had spending increasing amounts of time with them. He was always there when Penny needed someone. Hell, he was even there whenever Emmy needed anything, or when she did something impressive. He was there more than her own father.

Penny could feel something shifting. They would eat ice cream after putting Emilia to bed, and watch crappy TV. Penny noticed, though, that she and Sheldon were sharing more with each other. It was Thursday night when Sheldon asked the question that shook Penny to the core.

"Penny, are you happy?" he asked, looking at her with his intense blue eyes. She was on her third glass of wine, and her lips were a little looser than usual.

"Right now I am," she had replied.

"No, I mean in general. With Leonard."

Her brow had furrowed at that. "No. I'm not."

"He's never…struck you before, right?" Sheldon asked, afraid to no the answer.

"No, he hasn't. Our disputes are verbal. I don't like when he yells at me in front of Emilia. That's why I bring her over to you and Amy."

"Hmm," Sheldon had said, letting his hand fall on her leg.

She froze. She was sure it must have been an accident. Maybe the wine was affecting her more than usual. Maybe she was asleep.

"Leave him," Sheldon said simply, leaning in a little closer to his best friend. "He hasn't contacted you in close to a week. He berates you in front of your daughter. You aren't happy. _Leave him_."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: WOW! So, it's been a really, REALLY, long time since I updated this story. So, here's a chapter with a little bit of everything! Please read and review, and let me know what you think. This chapter has some pretty angsty content, but bear with it. I think it'll be worth it!**

" _Leave him."_

"I can't just leave, Sheldon. We have a child together…no matter what, he's going to be a part of our lives, so we may as well keep everything the same as it has been."

Sheldon moved his hand from her leg as if he had been burned. "So, you propose raising your child in a volatile household is better than leaving? I wish my mother had left my father, so I didn't have to listen to the constant fighting."

"Our situation is nothing like your parents," Penny said, beginning to get defensive. "Besides, it's none of your business!"

By this point, Penny was standing in front of where Sheldon was sitting on the couch.

"None of my business?" he asked, standing to his full height in front of her, causing her to step back slightly. "My home is being imposed on during your fights. They're usually loud enough to drift over to _my_ apartment, where I can hear, disturbing my sleep and quite honestly, my sanity."

Penny wouldn't back down. "Oh, so _that's_ what makes it your business? Your precious sleep cycle?"

"You know it's more than that," he said quietly, looking into her eyes.

Penny didn't say anything back. She looked at her feet, and then around the room. She was looking for something—anything—to distract her from the implication that there was something more than friendship between them.

When she met his eyes again, his lips turned up into a wry smile. He shook his head slightly, and moved around her towards her front door. "I will not sit by and watch this. I think you should know that."

"You're my best friend," she said, not making a move to stop him from leaving.

"And that's precisely why I can't. I cannot watch your life spiral out of control. I've been a spectator for over five years now."

She jumped slightly at the sound of the door slamming, and then allowed her tears to fall freely.

TBBT

Penny spent the next few days thinking about what Sheldon had said. At first, she was in denial. Surely, she and Leonard didn't fight _that_ much. But then she got realistic, and came to the conclusion that they did fight a lot. They had always fought, though. It was what they did. They fought and made up, and it had worked so far. And as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't financially secure. But in that time, she also heard from Leonard. She was mad at him for waiting so long to call, but gave an excuse about connectivity problems. He said the problem was resolved and promised to call as often as possible, and told her he loved her with so much sincerity she forgot how upset she was. So, she made her decision.

Walking over to apartment 4a, Penny gave herself a quick pep talk before knocking on his door.

When he answered, he looked at her at first with his usual happiness, although that quickly faded to something that Penny couldn't quite discern.

"I can't leave him," Penny quickly blurted out. Her eyes were wide as she waited for her best friend's reaction. "I can't support Emmy on my own. I barely make enough to keep myself alive, let alone her. I need Leonard. I hate that I need him, but I do. And I love him. But I also need you. Please don't hate me, or leave me, or otherwise be out of my life."

Sheldon looked at the crying woman in front of him, and felt his heart break.

Penny felt herself being pulled to him, as he stroked her hair, and made soft shushing noises in her ear. She started crying harder. Sheldon had eased up with his no touching rules, but he still didn't like to initiate contact.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said with as much sincerity as he could. "I promise."

Penny nodded, knowing that he was telling the truth. "I'm sorry," she said. She was apologizing for so much. For hurting him, for crying on his shoulder so much, for crying then, for disappointing him. But also, because what he implied that night when they fought, that he cared more than she originally thought, she knew she felt the same way too.

He didn't say anything in response, only tightened his hold on her, somehow understanding everything that hadn't been said.

TBBT

Over the next days, things went back to normal. Neither Penny or Sheldon brought up the argument or thinly veiled confessions, instead opting to pretend as though they never happened. It was safer, after all.

One evening when Emilia was having a slumber party at a friend's house, Sheldon and Penny spent the evening eating spaghetti with hotdogs and watching TV at his place.

"So, she's just gone forever?" Penny asked, looking at Sheldon for confirmation. They were watching Doctor Who. More specifically, Doomsday, and Rose Tyler had just been trapped in the parallel universe.

Sheldon simply nodded, giving the hint that Penny should stop talking. When the episode finally ended, she was clutching his hand, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "I barely understand that ending, but it was so sad."

"He destroyed an entire sun just for one last chance to say goodbye," Sheldon said, glancing down at her.

"He really loved her," Penny said, smiling slightly.

"I think he did. That's what I believe he wanted to tell her, before the connection was gone."

Penny nodded, laughing slightly at how ridiculous it was for her to be so invested in fictional characters. "Well, it was beautiful. And heart breaking."

She looked up to find Sheldon still looking at her, and she recognized the expression in his eyes, even if she had never seen it on him before.

"Sheldon…" she said, although the warning was half-hearted, as she found herself leaning towards him.

The moment his lips touched hers, she felt a shock through her body, an overwhelming feeling of contentment. And also a lot of lust.

She parted her lips, and he eagerly touched her tongue with his. His right hand wrapped itself in her hair while his left circled her waist. He pulled back slightly, looking at her, and she gave the smallest, almost imperceptible nod of her head, her eyes screaming _yes, yes, this is right!_

This time when their mouths touched again, it wasn't gentle. It was hungry, repressed tension; their tongues battled for control as his hand twisted further into her hair. He laid her down onto the couch, never once breaking contact. Her hands found their way to his shirts, and to her surprise he didn't protest. She felt the goosebumps on his skin under her fingers, and smiled against his mouth. She got his shirts off of him, and quickly realized that Sheldon Cooper gave as good as he got. His hands ghosted their way down her sides, touching the sides of her breasts as they went, causing Penny to shiver underneath him. This time, it was his turn to grin, satisfied with the reaction he got from her.

They were reaching a precipice—a point of no return—and though they both knew better, they just didn't care.

As she felt her tank top being slowly peeled from her body, she heard a noise, and her stomach dropped to her feet.

She picked up her phone and saw an incoming FaceTime call from Leonard.


End file.
